Mastermind of the Akatsuki

"Byakuya-sama, the Uchiha need your help," Shisui said. 

Upon receiving Shisui's message, Byakuya opened a drawer full of prepared plans for the Night of the Uchiha Massacre. He carefully considered which strategy to hand over to Shisui for execution. 

After some thought, Byakuya destroyed all the plans, dismissing the idea entirely. 

The Uchiha were never particularly clever, and if they failed to grasp his intentions or botched the execution of his plan, years of his schemes would be wasted. 

After all, whether the Uchiha survived or perished wasn't particularly important to him. 

However, if the Uchiha were wiped out, he would lose his opportunity to gain a high-tier Mangekyo reward. Recruiting the entire Uchiha clan under his command would surely earn him substantial benefits. 

Leaving a Wood Clone behind, Byakuya summoned White Zetsu, Shiro, and used Mayfly Technique to quickly travel toward Konoha. 

The Mayfly Technique was incredibly fast. In less than a day, Byakuya had crossed over a thousand kilometers to arrive at Konohagakure. 

He found Shisui in a clearing within the Forest of Death. The Uchiha prodigy was training his Body Flicker Technique, slicing through falling leaves with his kunai while leaving afterimages in his wake. 

Byakuya didn't reveal himself immediately. Instead, he manipulated his chakra to summon vines from the ground, which surged toward Shisui. 

Noticing the sudden attack, Shisui's face darkened. He sliced through the vines with his kunai before shouting into the empty forest, "Byakuya-sama, is that you?" 

Recognized so easily, Byakuya stepped out of the shadows and patted Shisui on the shoulder. 

"Guessing my identity based on Wood Release is a clever move. But remember, I'm not the only one in the ninja world who can use Wood Release. If you encounter someone else, you might not be so lucky." 

There are other ninja in the world who can use Wood Release? 

And Byakuya's speed—wasn't it too fast? The Land of Rain was over a thousand kilometers away from Konoha. 

Although shocked, Shisui maintained his composure and replied, "Even if others can use Wood Release, none are as strong as you, Byakuya-sama. I would never forget your power." 

Hearing Shisui's unexpected flattery, Byakuya immediately understood how dire the situation had become between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership. 

Otherwise, why would the Uchiha lower their proud heads? 

With this in mind, Byakuya said, "Shisui, I much prefer you when you're defiant. That's the true Uchiha spirit we admire!" 

"...?" Shisui was briefly stunned, struggling to keep up with Byakuya's unusual line of thought. 

Clearing his throat, Byakuya continued, "Let's skip the small talk. What kind of trouble has the Uchiha encountered that you're coming to me for help?" 

Shisui sighed deeply and recounted the situation with Itachi—how he had joined Root under Danzo and was now being influenced to stand against the clan. 

Hearing that Itachi, just like in the original timeline, had joined Root and become Danzo's weapon against the Uchiha, Byakuya couldn't help but chuckle. Truly worthy of someone with the "Hokage mindset,"

Although it was hard to say whether Itachi followed the ideals of the First, Second, Third, or Fourth Hokage. 

After a brief pause, Byakuya said, "Itachi Uchiha has fallen under Danzo's influence. In the future, he will undoubtedly stand with Konoha's leadership, and he may even act against his own clan." 

Shisui frowned deeply. "Itachi wouldn't go that far. He may not express his feelings well, but he still loves the clan in his heart."

Byakuya smirked meaningfully. "You'd be surprised. I've dealt with Danzo before. The ninja he manipulates may appear to have free will, but they are nothing more than his tools. However, Danzo's or Itachi's thoughts are irrelevant. What matters is your opinion, Shisui. Why have you sought my help this time, and are you prepared to pay the price for it?" 

Shisui took a deep breath and spoke resolutely. "To save the clan, I'm willing to do anything. Even if it means giving you my Mangekyo Sharingan." 

"Mangekyo Sharingan? That's quite a nice pair of eyes." 

Byakuya gazed into Shisui's eyes, then shook his head. "But I don't need your eyes. What I need is your loyalty." 

"Just my loyalty? That's all?" 

Shisui exhaled in relief. He had assumed Byakuya's interest lay in his Mangekyo Sharingan, but it turned out all Byakuya wanted was his and the clan's loyalty. 

This undoubtedly proved that Byakuya's ambitions were far grander than Shisui had initially imagined. 

However, What of It? 

The greater Byakuya's ambition, the more it confirmed that he possessed the strength to match it. If Shisui brought the Uchiha clan under Byakuya's command, they would surely have more room to grow and thrive. 

Compared to Konoha, which constantly suppressed the Uchiha, Byakuya's Amegakure would not deliberately stifle their potential. 

After pondering for a moment, Shisui said, "Byakuya-sama, if you are willing to accept the Uchiha, we will pledge our loyalty to you!" 

Byakuya frowned slightly. "The Uchiha are under Konoha's watch. Bringing your entire clan out of the village won't be easy. Even if I can lead you away, will your clan members agree to leave?" 

Byakuya's words struck Shisui at the core, leaving him silent. 

He indeed lacked the confidence to convince his clan. Despite being the strongest within the Uchiha and having awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, his authority within the clan was limited. Beyond his personal prestige, he did not hold enough sway to lead the entire clan away. 

Moreover, the Uchiha were a large clan, numbering around three hundred members. 

Of those, only a few dozen were trained shinobi. The rest were ordinary people without any ninja skills. 

While the Uchiha ninja could leave under the pretense of missions, the non-combatants couldn't. Moving such a large number of people would undoubtedly arouse the suspicion of Konoha's leadership. 

Realizing this, Shisui suddenly felt that leaving Konoha wasn't a feasible solution—it was riddled with challenges at every turn. 

Seeing Shisui's hesitation, Byakuya spoke again, "From the information you provided, it seems that while the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership are at odds, the leadership isn't yet prepared to move against your clan. Perhaps they are wary of your Mangekyo Sharingan, or maybe they fear that destroying the Uchiha would leave them without enough forces to deter other villages. Either way, you still have enough time to make your move." 

Pausing for a moment, Byakuya turned to Shisui and said, "In the time to come, I will guide you step by step—how to seize power within the Uchiha, how to lead your clan against Konoha, and ultimately, how to achieve your goals." 

Hearing this, Shisui nodded solemnly and said, "Then I will leave it to you, Byakuya-sama."